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Supramolecular assembly

Definition

Supramolecular assembly is the formation of a well-defined complex of molecules held together by noncovalent bonds. It is usually used to describe large groups of molecules that form sphere-, rod- or sheet-like species.

Latest Research and Reviews

This protocol describes how to use sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation in combination with fluorescence optical detection for the analysis of mass, shape, size distribution, and binding constants of interacting proteins.

Cellular signalling is often facilitated by membrane protein clustering, but detection of protein clustering at high spatiotemporal resolution is challenging. Here the authors develop a single-chain FRET sensor they name CliF to look at intermolecular associations and dynamics of TCR-CD3 clusters on the T cell surface.

All current evidence indicates a central role for α-synuclein (α-SYN) amyloid fibrils in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies, but the precise relationship between amyloid aggregates and the resulting phenotype remains poorly understood, partly because of the lack of reliable three-dimensional structures. In this issue, the structure of a toxic α-SYN fibril is now presented at unprecedented resolution.

Proteins can self-assemble into functional states, or they can end up as aberrant and sometimes toxic aggregates. Metastable intermediate states are often detected in these processes, and their structural characterization provides vital information about the balance between functional and pathological behavior in living systems.